BAIPHIL welcomes new fiscal year under new leadership
Meet the Davaoeña at the helm of the Philippine banking industry’s training institution
A s the Bankers Institute of the Philippines (BAIPHIL) nears its 76th year at a time of great political changes in our country, it will usher in its new leaders. At a ceremony today at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, to be led by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr., BAIPHIL will induct its new Board of Directors, Officers, and Committee Chairpersons led by the Bank of TokyoMitsubishi UFJ Ltd. EVP and incoming BAIPHIL president Liza Ortiz.
Ortiz and her fellow members in the new Board are assuming their positions at a crucial milestone in the organization’s history. BAIPHIL just celebrated its 75th anniversary last March. It was an event wherein its surviving pillars and members looked back at the organization’s important achievements — from the time it was established under the shadow of global war in 1941 to the present digital innovations in banking.
Through the organization’s trainings, seminars and workshops in the past seven decades, the country’s banking professionals gained pertinent skills, knowledge and competencies in banking. Its educational initiatives have helped the country’s banks respond to the evolving needs of their clientele.
With all these efforts, BAIPHIL has contributed to the development of a sound, robust and formidable banking industry thereby supporting the sustained economic growth of the country.
RIPE FOR THE PICKING
One might wonder what more should still be done in BAIPHIL given its numerous achievements in the past 75 years. For incoming president Ortiz,
HER TOP AGENDA GEARING UP FOR THE WORLD
Ortiz not only sets her sights on the local environment. She also has her eyes on the regional and global trends in the banking industry. One such trend is the increasing influx of foreign banks in the country as the Philippines opened its doors to create a more competitive banking industry and to prepare for the Asean financial integration.
“The regulatory landscape is changing. As a foreign bank coming in to the Philippines, how do you deal with that without the proper training on local regulatory compliance? This is where the BAIPHIL training courses will be most useful for the new entrants for them to be able to adapt well to the local scenario. Likewise, it would do well for the domestic banks to
Continuity is on top of Ortiz’s agenda as new president. She plans to maintain the progress that BAIPHIL has achieved under the past presidents whose terms were marked by notable achievements in various areas.
When asked about last year’s accomplishments under her predecessor, Atty. Rhoneil S. Fajardo, Ortiz shares, “I have very high respect and admiration for Rhoneil, particularly for his focus and talent. Under his leadership, BAIPHIL accomplished several things. It acquired the new office; it further strengthened the training structure with the creation of the six course committees and the Brand Standardization including the update of the BAIPHIL logo, among other things.”
From the achievements of the previous administrations, Ortiz wants to build her agenda of continuity. She explained that her foremost goal for BAIPHIL is for it to continue the trainings on new products, new regulations, compliance, governance, information technology, digitization, banking security, cyber security, risk management, and anti-money laundering.
Ortiz also expressed the desire to further enhance these trainings and make them more attuned to the needs of the banking industry.
“We will conduct in-depth consultations with the training heads of the institutional members in order to arrive at relevant training programs beneficial to the members”, she added.
She conveyed her aim to strengthen BAIPHIL’s training framework through the development of certification courses and application of accreditation of the courses with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for eligibility as a continuing education course for those in the accountancy profession.
“During this term, I would like to promote the enhancement of communication among ourselves, sharing information and listening to our stakeholders — especially our members — so that the actions we take are responsive to their needs,” Ortiz explained.
She adds that with enhanced communications, the organization can better rationalize decisions on projects, promote efficiency, and get more engagement and buy in from different stakeholders.
Ortiz pointed out how the organization’s internal communications can be maximized further to bring the various committees closer, showcase their achievements, and promote engagement among its associate members. there are still plenty of things to be done in order to make the organization a world-class professional development institution within the banking industry.
“BAIPHIL is a dynamic organization composed of committed and dedicated bankers, strongly supported by its institutional members. As the training arm of the Philippine banking industry, it must continue to live up to its vision, ‘to be the leading organization in the pursuit of banking excellence aiming to be at par with the best in the Asia-Pacific region,’” Ortiz, who hails from Davao City, explained in an interview with The Philippine STAR.
As a BAIPHIL member for more than nine years, Ortiz has worked her way up within the organization, heading different committees and assuming different roles in the Board of Directors. In the last three years, she served as treasurer, second vice president and first vice president. Under these capacities, she helped the organization in coming up with prudential ways to manage its finances as well as in organizing the general membership meetings, among others.
Outside of BAIPHIL, Ortiz has been with the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd., the biggest bank in Japan, for nearly 20 years. She helped manage the bank’s local branch, contributing to its stability and inclusion in the top 20 banks in the country. Her efforts have also led to the branch’s receipt of recognitions and awards from the bank’s head office in Tokyo.
With her experience in banking and in BAIPHIL, it can be said that Ortiz is ripe for the picking as the organization’s next president and lead it to achieving its vision.
be more exposed to global standards and practices,” Ortiz said.
With this in mind, she expressed her plans to prepare the course committees to respond to the new needs arising from regional and global integration.
Value-laden leadership
But if there is one thing that Ortiz would like to emphasize during her term, it’s the commitment to the organization’s values which are good governance, competence and integrity, service, teamwork and innovation.
“Commitment is very important for me. Without that, we won’t accomplish anything. We have to show the same level of commitment we have for our companies,” Ortiz expressed.
She also highlights the need for humility and inclusiveness. “It is important to listen more to each other, have an open mind and be more collaborative.” she said, adding that she humbly admires her co-members in the Board of Directors and wants to learn from them while leading the organization.
She also looks up to the former officers and directors of BAIPHIL whom she considers as her mentors. Nevertheless, she encouraged members to challenge themselves to grow. “We can push ourselves beyond what we think we can accomplish. It’s something that I’ve proven effective in the many years that I’ve worked in the banking industry. How else can we respond to the growing needs of our members and the industry that we serve?” she said.
In the next 12 months, Ortiz will be working with some of the best minds in the local banking industry — each with different values and perspectives. She promised to exhibit a kind of dynamic leadership that capitalizes on inclusiveness, sharing of insights and know- how and listening to different stakeholders in order to make the organization more cohesive and productive in its pursuit of its goals.
Indeed, continuity with change is expected. The organization is determined to keep the ball rolling by building on the achievements of the past generations. The wheel will keep on turning as it treads into new roads under the hands of its new and able leadership.